when the world surrounds you (i'll make it go away)
by 3rdgymbros
Summary: Toph sucks in a sharp breath. Calm, calm, calm, she tells herself, over the panic that seizes her chest. Then, carefully, she says, "Baby." ( or: how Toph finds out that she's pregnant in the most unconventional way. )


Katara's merciful enough to let her sleep in – though the sweet gesture is ruined by the water bender tripping over a piece of her armor from where she's haphazardly chucked it on the floor. There's a muffled curse as Katara scrambles to scoop up the bowl of water and her other ointments.

For a moment, Toph forgets the events of last night, but as soon as she moves, pain makes her muscles twitch and seize, and she lets out a hiss through clenched teeth. Katara cries out her name just once, and drops everything to help her sit up. Even the touch of softest pillows against skin mottled purple almost proves too much to bear, but Toph grits her teeth and endures, pushing through the dull ache.

It'll take a few more healing sessions before the pain goes away completely.

"Zuko's here," Katara says immediately, like she's been waiting hours for Toph to wake up. She likely has been. "He's waiting outside."

Toph lets loose an indignant squawk. "I _told_ you not to tell him about Yakone!"

"Toph, it's all over the news. He came as soon as he heard." There's a note of disapproval in Katara's voice. "He's your _husband_. He's _worried_ about you."

_That's exactly why I didn't want him to find out, _thank you very much_, Katara._

There's the clink of glass as a cap is unscrewed, and the swish of liquid as something is poured out. This particular tincture smells like a rotten sandal, and Toph crinkles her nose at the smell. She hopes that that isn't meant for drinking. "You're due for another healing session, but I can come back in half an hour if you wanna see Zuko first."

There's a conversation lying in wait that she can't put off forever, and so, Toph decides to face it head-on. "Sure. Send him in."

"I checked you over while you were sleeping, but there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage. You and the baby are both okay."

Toph sucks in a sharp breath. _Calm, calm, calm,_ she tells herself, over the panic that seizes her chest. Then, carefully, she says, _"Baby."_

"Yeah, you're about a month along . . ." Hesitantly, Katara trails off into silence. Toph can feel the older girl's heartbeat stuttering, skipping a beat. "You didn't know?"

Her throat is tight when she speaks again, but she manages to get the words out. "Well, I do now. Thanks, Katara."

"I . . ." Katara is at a loss for what to do. "I'll just . . . I'll just send Zuko in."

"Yeah. You do that."

Toph bites her lip and burrows further under the covers, as if she can escape the thought of her own bones creaking, her body being bent at unnatural angles, the terrifying blackness pressing in on her from all sides.

The door opens quietly. Her toes are snug under the covers, but she doesn't need to know who's walking in. She would know his presence anywhere. Neither of them says a word as he shrugs off his cloak and slides into the bed next to her. Zuko opens his arms and Toph hesitates only a second before curling into him, resting her head on his chest and holding on to him like he's the only thing anchoring her to this world. His arms come around her as best as they can, careful not to hold her too tightly.

"Hi," She says lightly.

"Hi," Zuko says, and his sigh ruffles the hair on the crown of her head. "I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

Toph tilts her head up, her thumb skirting the edges of ruined skin. Zuko no longer flinches as he once had during the early stages of their relationship, but sighs again, and leans into her touch. "Bit banged up, but I'm fine."

"I'm sorry." Frustration colours Zuko's voice; he shakes his head. "I should have been there."

"Hey, you couldn't have done anything. That asshole would have gotten you too." She traces her fingers over his cheek. Despite the chill in the air, his skin itself is hot to the touch, and the pleasant warmth pulses through her like a second heartbeat. "Don't beat yourself up. I can see you pouting from here."

"Sorry." Zuko says, and it's for her benefit that he makes an effort to lighten his tone.

"So." Toph clears her throat, pulling him out from wherever his mind might have strayed to. She jabs him in the chest just once for good measure. "I've – I've been thinking . . . About what you said once. You know . . . About us getting a house on Ember Island, and raising our kids away from the palace. That sounds nice."

Zuko doesn't say a word, silently urging her to continue.

"I wouldn't mind . . . I mean, I could take a break from the police work for a while. And we could give it a try." Her voice is more of a breath than anything. "If you still want to."

"Yeah, but we don't have any children –"

Toph waits for it to sink in. _One second, two seconds –_

There's a dawning realization in Zuko's voice. He sounds _hopeful_. Almost _happy._ "Toph, are you – Is it –"

"Yeah. Katara told me just now." Toph says, finally allowing herself to relax, the tension leaking out of her slight frame. She releases a relieved breath, her lips curving up in a sly smirk. "Congratulations on getting me knocked up."

Zuko laughs. He so rarely does, and the sound sweeps her up like a wave, holding her in its buoyancy, and carries her away. "A _baby_," He says, sounding as though he still can't quite believe it. "I'm going to be a _father_."

"You're gonna be a good one," Toph says firmly. It's the one thing that she's actually sure of. "And our kid's gonna be damned lucky, having the greatest earth bender in the world and the firelord as their parents."

With her hand still splayed across his cheek, she feels the muscles in Zuko's face soften, and Toph realizes just how much he needed to hear those words, even if he doesn't quite believe them yet. But maybe, in time, he will. "Yeah. Thanks, Toph."

And when she closes the slight distance between them, brushing her lips against his, Toph feels the stamp of a smile against her lips.

* * *

**A/N:** So this is the customary pregnancy fic ( kinda ). Thank you, and please leave a review for more!


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